Clip gun



Julie 24, 1969 ROLF ET AL CLIP GUN Sheet 0 ROBERT E ROLF HAROLD H. BOLT L II l l m.

Filed Mafch 13, 1967 June 24, 1969 ROLF ETAL I 3,451,250

CLIP GUN Filed March 13, 1967 Sheet 2 of 3 V 55 o I J l/VVE/VTO/PS ROBERT E. ROLF HAROLD BOLT June 24, 1969 R ROLF ET AL I 3,451,250

CLIP GUN Filed March 13, 1967 Sheet of3 INVENTORS ROBERT E. ROL F E HAROLD H. BOLT 1:: 2 r

United States Patent 3,451,250 CLIP GUN Robert E. Rolf, 2606 Madelyn SW. 49509, and Harold H. Bolt, 2140 Kinney Ave. NW. 49504, both of Grand Rapids, Mich.

Filed Mar. 13, 1967, Ser. No. 622,591 Int. Cl. B21j 7/16; B21d 31/00, 41/00 US. Cl. 72-403 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device for installing securing clips around a group of wires, and having a moving anvil carrying bending levers that fold clips supported by the anvil, in which the pivot axes of the levers are movable with respect to the anvil, and the clips are compressed between the anvil and portions of the levers as a final step in the installation operation.

Summary of the invention This invention relates to the construction of devices used to install clips around groups of wires to hold them together. This type of fastening is conventional, and mechanized installation devices are generally available. One type of these in relatively wide use handles a threelegged clip that is U-shaped in cross section, with two spaced legs on one side, and one central leg on the other. This clip is received in the installing device, or gun, in such a manner that the group of wires to be secured are embraced within the U. The gun then wraps the clip legs around the wire from the opposite sides, with the central leg occupying the space between the pair. This fastening system is widely used in the construction of spring assemblies for automobile seats.

One form of mechanism for installing the clips involves a moving anvil carrying an opposed pair of levers which provide jaws for engaging the clips to perform the bending operation. The levers of conventional guns are pivotally mounted on axes fixed with respect to the movable anvil, and an overhang of the jaws establishes a fixed space between the jaws and the anvil. This space tends to be correct for only one size of wire group, even assuming perfect operation of the bending jaws. Variations in the size of the wires, or of the wire group, results either in looseness of the clip installation, or inadequate wrap-around resulting in lack of security and projecting clip ends.

The present invention provides an additional operation to the installation, with very minor modification of the conventional structure. This added operation cornpensates for variations in wire or group size, and also increases the security of engagement of the clips around all wires and group sizes. The added operation is essentially a compression of the clip between the anvil and the jaws as a final stage in the installation. This action is provided by moving the anvil with respect to the jaws.

Detailed description The several features of the invention will be analyzed in detail through a discussion of the particular embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a complete gun embodying the present invention, in the condition in which a clip is fed into the device by a storage magazine (not shown).

FIGURE 2 is a top view of the device, with most of the standard pneumatic actuator removed.

3,451,250 Patented June 24, 1969 'ice FIGURE 3 is a bottom view of the device shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a view on the plane 44 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a view on the plane 55 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of a standard clip of the type utilized by the device shown in the drawings.

FIGURE 7 is a side elevation showing the initial position of a clip in the device, preparatory to installing the clip around a pair of wires engaged by the device.

FIGURE 8 is a side elevation showing the second stage in the installation of the clip, with the jaws of the device wrapping the legs of the clip around the group of wires.

FIGURE 9 shows the final stage in the operation, with the anvil being moved with respect to the jaws to generate a clamping action on the installed clip.

FIGURE 10 is a view on the plane 10-10 of FIGURE 9.

FIGURE 11 is a perspective view showing the initial closing action of the jaws on the clip.

FIGURE 12 is a perspective view of the sliding block, of which the anvil is an integral part.

FIGURE 13 is a sectional side elevation through the block shown in FIGURE 12.

The clip gun illustrated in the drawings utilizes a standard pneumatic actuator which includes the cylinder 20 and the handle 21. A trigger 22 is pivotally mounted in the frame 23 of the device on the pin 24. Movement of the trigger 22 causes the valve button 25 to admit a charge of air to the cylinder 20, driving a piston (not shown) and piston rod to the right, as shown in FIGURE 1. This actuator structure is standard, and forms no part of the present invention. The piston rod carries the coupling member 26, which transfers the forces generated by the piston to the mechanism carried by the frame 23.

The frame of the clip-installing mechanism includes the parallel plates 27 and 28 interconnected by the bolts 29-32 and the associated nuts 33-36. The screws 37 and 38 engage the spacing post 39, and the screws 40 and 41 engage the spacing post 42. Spacing cylinders as shown at 43 surround the bolts 31 and 32, and the spaced relationship between the plates 27 and 28 is preserved at the actuator end of the device by the presence of the bosses 44 and 45 traversed by the bolts 30 and 29, respectively. The opposite, or front end of the device is provided with the projections 460-12 and 47a-b on the plates 27 and 28, which define between them, on each of the plates, a recess as shown at 48 for receiving groups of wires to be secured together by a clip installed by the device. These clips are fed into the mechanism through the opening 49 by a magazine unit (not shown) that forms no part of the present invention. These clips are of the configuration shown in FIGURE 6, and are placed initially in the device as shown in FIGURE 7. The clips 50 are conveniently considered as U-shaped in cross section (as viewed in FIGURE 6), and include a back 51, a single leg 52 on one side of the back, and a pair of legs 53-54 on the opposite side of the back. These clips are normally of sheet steel, and are wrapped around groups of wires in such a manner that the leg 52 is brought around between the legs 53 and 54, while the latter are folded around to embrace the wires in the opposite direction. The final installed position is shown in FIGURE 9, in which the clip 50 is shown wrapped around the group of wires which includes the wires 55 and 56.

The bending of the legs 52-54 of the clip 50 around the wires 55 and 56 is accomplished initially by the levers 57 and 58 pivotally connected to the sliding block 59 on the pins 60 and 61 respectively. The levers may be considered as fixed with respect to the pins 60 and 61 in the illustrated device, and these pins have a freedom of movement with respect to the block 59 in the left-right direction as a result of the engagement of the pins with the slots 62 and 63. The conformation of the block 59 is best shown in FIGURE 12, and the mass of this block may be considered as separated into the side sections 59a and 5911 by the central slot 64. This slot is bridged by the anvil portion 65 provided with the ridges 66 and 67 defining a space for receiving the back 51 of the clip 50, as shown in FIGURE 7. The clip is then held between the anvil 65 and the jaw portions 68 and 69 of the levers 57 and 58. The jaw portion 69 is separated into two sections 69a and 69b, as shown in FIGURE 11, to receive the central jaw portion 68. The disposition of these jaws corresponds to the position of the legs 52-54 of the clip 50 as it is received in the FIGURE 7 position.

The pivotal movement of the levers 57 and 58 on the fulcrum pins 60 and 61 is controlled by the pairs of toggle links 70a-b and 71ab. These links extend from the pin connections 72 and 73, respectively, interconnecting the links to the levers to the central pin 74 traversing the slide member 75. The pin 74 extends laterally a sufiicient amount to engage the guide slot in the plate 28, and the pins 72 and 73 extend laterally to engage the cam slots 77 and 78 in the frame plates 27 and 28. It is preferable that at least the cam slots be formed in both of the frame plates. The configuration of the slots 77 and 78 is such that movement of the pin 74 to the right, as shown in FIGURES 1, 7, 8, and 9, will cause the block 59 and the levers 57 and 58 to move together, with the jaws in approximately the same position shown in FIGURE 7. The parallel sections 79 and 80 of these cam slots will prevent the toggle action from rotating the levers 57 and 58 to close the jaws. The initial ofiset portions 81 and 82 of these slots serve to throw the jaws open sufficiently to provide clearance for receiving the clip from the magazine in the first instance. When the pins 72 and 73 encounter the diverging portions 83 and 84, as shown in FIGURES 8 and 9, the removal of the lateral restraint on the pins 72 and 73 permits the links 70 and 71 to apply a strong force to the levers, and close the jaws to the FIGURE 8 position as the toggle links approach a lineof-centers position. The mechanism to this point performs in the manner of a conventional device, with the exception of the lost motion connection between the levers 57- 58 and the block 59.

The operating forces from the member 26 of the actuator are transmitted in direct abutting relationship to the surface 85 of the slide member 75 during the installation of the clip. In order to permit the actuator 20 to operate the magazine (not shown) in advance of the clip-closing function, a degree of lost motion is provided in the connection between the slide member 75 and the coupling member 26 of the actuator. This degree of lost motion is indicated by the distance between the surface 85 and the end of the member 26, as it appears in FIGURE 1. When the end of the member 26 has engaged the surface 85, the magazine will have been actuated to a sufficient extent to provide placement of the clip 50 in the FIG- URE 7 position. This lost motion connection may be provided in a variety of ways, as by the well-known ball coupling, which forms no part of the present invention.

When the slide member has been forced to the position shown in FIGURE 8 by the coupling member 26, another type of operation begins which results in increasing the degree of closure and security of the clip 50 around the wires 55 and 56. Continued movement of the slide member to the right from the FIGURE 8 position will proceed to develop a relationship between the components as shown in FIGURE 9, in which either the slide member 75, or the links 7071 (or both) bear against the back surface 86 of the block 59. This surface may be rendered somewhat concave, as appears in the drawings, in order to accommodate the final position of the links 70 and 71, and provide a substantial bearing surface. Continued movement of the slide member 75 results also in carrying the pins 72 and 73 to the ends of the slot portions 83 and 84, thus providing a positive limitation to any further movement of the levers to the right, and terminating their pivotal movement. The relative disposition of the ends of the cam slots, the position of the fulcrum pins 60 and 61, and of the block slots 62 and 63 is such that the engagement of the pins 72 and 73 with the ends of the cam slots takes place at approximately the beginning of the freedom of movement of the pins 60 and 61 with respect to the slots 62 and 63, as shown in FIGURE 9. Subsequent movement of the slide member 75 to the right will therefore result in compression of the clip 50 between the anvil 65 and the jaws 68 and 69, as the block 59 will continue in its movement while the levers 57 and 58 continue to be held securely in position. The result is the compressing effect upon the clip 50 appearing in FIGURE 9.

It is preferable that a biasing action be established to urge the block 59 to the left with respect to the slide member 75 and the levers 57 and 58, so that the release movement from the fully installed position of FIGURE 9 will first include movement of the toggle links 70 and 71 back to the FIGURE 8 position, with this movement being accompanied by movement of the block 59 to the left prior to any substantial degree of opening rotation of the levers 57 and 58. This biasing action is provided by the springs 87 and 88 urging the pins 89 and 90 against the fulcrum pins 60 and 61. The springs are retained by the set-screws, as shown at 91 in FIGURE 13, engaging the block 59. It is preferable that the arrangement shown in FIGURE 13 be duplicated, and disposed on opposite sides of the block 59. A guide abutment 92 on the block 59 extends through a guide slot 76 in the plate 27 to stabilize the sliding movement. With this spring arrangement, or an equivalent biasing system, the block 59 is maintained at the extremity of its freedom of movement with respect to the levers 57 and 58 which appears in FIGURE 1 and FIGURE 8 until the direct forces are applied to the block as a result of the disposition of components in the FIGURE 9 position. The completion of the cycle of installation of a clip 50 simply involves the return of the mechanism from the FIGURE 9 position through the FIGURE 8 and back to the FIG- URE 1 position as a result of movement of the coupling member 26 to the left to the initial position.

The particular embodiments of the present invention which have been illustrated and discussed herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not to be considered as a limitation upon the scope of the appended claims. In these claims, it is our intention to claim the entire invention disclosed herein, except as we are limited by the prior art.

We claim:

1. A device for bending initially U-shaped clips around a plurality of members to hold the said members together, said device comprising:

a frame providing at least one locating recess for engaging members to be connected, to locate said device with respect to said members;

a block slideably mounted in said frame for guided movement, said block having a clip-receiving anvil disposed to at least approach the said recess at one extreme of sliding movement of said block, the opposite extreme of said movement corresponding to a position withdrawn from said recess;

a pair of clip-closing levers pivotally mounted, on opposite sides of said block, respectively, at an intermediate point on said levers, said levers having a lost-motion connection to said block in the direction of movement of said block, said levers having jaw portions overhanging said anvil to engage the spaced extremities of said U-shaped clips, said anvil normally receiving the central portion of said clips;

a pair of toggle link means, one being pivotally connected to the opposite extremity of each of said levers from said jaws;

a slide member mounted for guided sliding movement in said frame substantially parallel to the movement of said block, said links being pivotally connected to said slide member;

cam guideway means in said frame receiving cam follower means associated with each of said links and levers adjacent the connection thereof, said cam guideway means being disposed to maintain the jaws of said levers in an open position during movement of said block toward said recesses, and to close said jaws, in conjunction with the said links, adjacent the extremity of the said movement to wrap a clip about members received in said recesses, said block being engageable by means moving with said slide member to move said block with respect to said jaws, with said cam guideway means limiting the movement of said levers, to compress said clip between said anvil and said jaws; and

means for reciprocating said slide member.

2. A device as defined in claim '1, which also includes biasing means urging said block away from said jaws.

3. A device as defined in claim 2, wherein said biasing means acts between said block and said levers.

4. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said toggle links assume a line-of-centers position as said block is disposed adjacent the extremity of movement thereof toward said recesses.

5. A device as defined in claim 4, wherein said links bear on the opposite side of said block from said anvil when said links are adjacent said line-of-centers position, with said block free to move with respect to said levers toward said recesses.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,068,485 12/1962 Lingle et al 72-407 3,133,288 5/1964 Ohgren 72-407 RONALD D. CREPE, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 72-407, 417, 451 

